Switch operating mechanism



NGV. 29, 1932. R, POPP SWITCH OPERATING MEGHANISM Filed June 3. 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 29, 1932. R, Popp 1,889,215

SWITCH OPERATING MECHANISM` Filed June 5. 1929 sheets-sheet 2 Patented 1m29.193s

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S0, HMENA, ASSIGN'OB vT0 MCGILL FACTUBING" sponsoren one ,ione s, reos., semi ne. scenes. l

My invention relates to switch operating mechenisrn, .sn more particularly to suon meohonism tor lomp socket switches adopted for use in canile-type sockets and the like.

The prineipel purpose of this invention is to provlde e simple and novel rneons'for operating the switch mechanism from e rotating stern.

l it is oise e purpose et this inventionto m. proridle means :tor Arotiting* e. switch contract member, which means shall also form the sole support Jfor seid member. e

litio also s purpose oi this invention to prorimin e clevice of this character means tor supporting the movable switch elements which permits ot the ropi assembly ot these elements in their proper positions. n

@ther ohjects ond nclvontnges ot the-1nrention wiii sppeer es the description p rocseois in connection with the accompanying cirsrwings However, it is to he nnerstooo thnt the (lescription enti drawings ere ilhistrstire only, ond ore not to he taken os iirniting thev invention except in so tsr es it is ggg limited hy the claims. lin the drawings,-

i is e. sirio riew'ot s lomp socket nnit with my improve@ switch mechanism therem so E is top pion `View ot the device shownin i;

iigp is e stifle View taken et right ongles to i;

t is n sectionlon the line ir- 4; ot Fig. 3, to with certain of the elements ieit in tolli position for the purpose ot more clear illustretion;

v Fig. 5 is n section on the line 5-5 ot Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is o section on the line 6--6 of Eig. i.

to Fig. I is a vertical section through the morohle element of the switchmechenism 'and 'its Y Y. mounting; and 'l Figs is n section on the line 8-8 of Fig.

5, showing only the bridging Contact niemt ber of the switch.

.Referring now in etail to the drawings, li show nt 10 e temp socket or shell of the usuel screw-threads@ type, which socket has s depending eer il passing .throngh e slot in en insulating washer or dish lf2, which disk is also out awny et i3 for o purpose which will presentlyn appear.

Within the socket i0 there is provided e snlostnntiaiy horseshoe-shaped demping member i4;- which has dependlng ears i5 enti 16 extending through the ciish 12 ami engaging on the outer sides hi o.- pair of spaced. insnieting' pistes 1.7 and i8. These plates are hohl spece 'hy spacing elements 19 anzi 20,. which elements sorry) also s pair of spring oo contacts 2l en 22. The element 19 hos o, portion 23 which entends upwardly through the slot i3 ofriisir i2 snel :iorms e centrati contest for the lamp which is to be inserteci in the'socliet i0.

Pistes ifi snot t8 ere `also spaced et their lower ens hy ineens of whose or mountingo memher 2t' which hss e depending screwthreeeai portion '25 that may he suitably etteoheci to the snpportinghousing for the sochet. Since the supporting housing tor-ins no port of 'the present invention, further elescription thereo not he Insole.

'lhe' hose 24: snol the portion 25 here o. here 2@ in which 'the shot 2'? is mounted, shstt 2"? heing hohl against downwnr nievernent hy o. snitshic colier 28 upon which 'the shonlclers et 2S* of the atteneci *portion 3U, ormeci integrati with the sheizt 2?, heer, the lower enti ot this shaft, it is lorovieleol with e snitehle handle 31, which moy he secnre thereto, ss Vh3? ineens of e set screw 32. The het portion 30 has securefl on opposite vSides thereof e. pair oi' spring' mernhers 33 encl 3ft, which members have their upper enols 'formed on n spiral in cross section, osA shown more clearly in Fig. 6, on these upper ens ore spaced .somewhat from the portion 30. l The portion 30 is aise norrowefl or formati with shouders et 35 and 36, end en insulatin member 37 rests upon these shoulders, this insulating member being provided with a bridging contact 38 which extends substan- 'tially diametrically across the member and has contact faces 39 and 40 overlying the opposite pair of ratchet teeth which are provided on the member 37, the ratchet teeth intermediate this pair being devoid of any metallic vcontact thereon, so that when the spring contacts 21 and 22 rest upon them the circuit is broken between these contacts. -It is obvious, of course, that when contacts 21 and 22 engage the faces 39 and 40 an electric circuit is completed through these contacts.

A suitable washeror head- 41 is mounted on the top of the member 30 so as to hold the member 37 thereon, but permits its rotationrelative to the member 30 at any time. The member 37 is, as shown in Fig. 8, and also in Fig. 6, provided with internal ratchet teeth at 42, with which the spring members 33 and 34 engage.

Now, the action of the switch is as follows:

Assuming that it is desired to turn the bridging member 38 from the position shown in Fig. 6, in which no contact is established between the fingers 21 and 22, into a position establishing contact between these fingers, the stem 31 is rotated in a direction to cause the members 33 and 34 to engage the steep faces, such as 43 and 44, of the internal ratchet 42, and thus cause the member 37 to rotate. The rotation of this member moves the contact faces 39 and 40 into engagement with the contacts 21 and 22, and, owing to the spring-like character of the ngers 21 and 22, they snap into contact with the faces 39 and 40. However, if the stem 31 is rotated in the opposite direction, the shape of the members 33 and 34 and the shape ofthe lratchet teeth, readily permit a sliding action of the members 33 and 34 relative to the member 37, and the engagement of the free ends of the members 21 and 22 with the ad- `jacent shoulders on the outer ratchet teeth of the member 37 eifectively prevents the member 37 from being turned in the' wrong direction.

Thus it will be clear that rotation of member 31 in one direction will give a step-bystep making and breaking action for the swltch, while the rotation ofthe handle 31 in the opposite direction will not disturb the position of the member 37 relative to the spring contacts 21 and 22.

The spacing member 20 is provided with one wiring terminal, as shown by the screw 45, and the other terminal of the circuit is preferably connected to the screw 46, which holds the ears 11, 15 and 16 against the outer sides of the pieces 17 and 18. Y

From the above description, it will be seen that I have provided a very Simple construction, including a switch mechanism for lamp sockets, which mechanism is of comparatively strong and rugged construction, so that the same may have a long life. There being but very few parts, which are readily assembled, this device is one which requires but little expense in assembling, and thus can be produced at a comparatively low cost.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch, stationary contacts, a body of insulating material between said contacts having a bridging contact thereon adapted in one position of said body to electrically connect said stationary contacts, a rotatable stem upon which said body is rotatably mounted, and interengaging means on said body and stem for causing said body to move with said stem in one direction of rotation and causing said stem to rotate independently of said body in the other direction.

2. In a switch, stationary contacts, a body of insulating material between said contacts having a'bridging contact thereon adapted in one position of said body to electrically connect said stationary contacts, a rotatable stem upon which said body is rotatably mounted, and means on said body and stem for causing said body to move with said stem in one direction of rotation, said means including internal ratchet teeth in said body and spring lingers on said stem engaging said teeth, said fingers being spirally curved in cross section where they extend into said body.

3. In a combined switch and lamp socket, a socket shell, insulating supporting plates therefor, means holding said plates in spaced relation including spaced metallic elements one of said, elements carrying a center socket contact extending into said shell. said elements having spring contacts thereon, a bridging contact member interposed between said contacts, and a rotatable stem carrying said bridging contact member, said stem vbeing rotatable relative to said bridging contact member in one direction.

4. In a device of the character described, a frame, a plurality of stationary contacts mounted thereon, a bridging contact element interposed between said contacts, an operating stem rotatably mounted in said frame, an insulating body upon which said element is mounted. said body having an opening in which a portion of said stem is rotatably and non-slidably mounted, and cooperating means on said stem and body whereby to rotate said body only when said stem is turned in one direction, said stem being rotatable independently of said body when said stem is turned in the opposite direction.

5. In a switch, a frame, stationary contacts mounted thereon, a body of insulating material between said contacts having a bridging contact thereon adapted in one position of vsaid body to electrically connect said stationroc 1st y and resilient means on said stem engagingtherewith.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this th day of May, A. D., 1929.

RUDOLF POPP. 

